What’s at stake: The winner advances to the Pac-5 semifinals on Sat., Dec. 6 against the Mater Dei-Tesoro winner. If Notre Dame advances, the Knights would play at home against Tesoro or at Mater Dei, which has won a pregame coin flip.

What’s the key: If Notre Dame’s Ryan Kasdorf is his usual self, it could be a long night for Orange Lutheran. He has completed a remarkable 71 percent of his passes for 3,163 yards and 36 TDs – averaging 19.5 yards per completion. He has also rushed for 557 yards and five TDs.

Since a 44-17 nonleague loss in October to state power Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, Alemany of Mission Hills has won five in a row while allowing 14.8 points heading into Friday’s Western quarterfinal at Culver City.

A key has been the continued improvement of defensive linemen Ian Rodriguez and K.C. Obi.

“Ian Rodriguez is as good a defensive tackle as anyone I’ve had – at Hart or wherever,” coach Dean Herrington said.

In a 47-7 first-round victory over Highland of Palmdale, Obi totaled 16 tackles (13 in the first half) and two sacks.

In the meantime, Malcolm Marable has rushed for 1,520 yards and scored 23 touchdowns, and school administrators are scrambling to figure out if Marable is closing in on the school rushing record – the problem being Alemany’s collection of statistics was destroyed by an earthquake in 1994, Herrington said.

Second-seeded Alemany has never qualified for a section final.

“We can do it this year if we keep playing the way we’ve been playing. We just have to play hard,” receiver/defensive back Nick Cook said. “I’m happy with the way we’re playing. We just need to take it one game at a time.”

Malcolm Jones, a star running back/linebacker for Oaks Christian of Westlake Village who has missed two football games because of a shoulder injury, has been downgraded from probable to doubtful for Friday’s 7:30 Northwest Division quarterfinal against visiting Pioneer Valley of Santa Maria.

“Malcolm practiced without pads on Monday and Tuesday. He’ll probable suit up but I don’t think we’ll use him unless we really need him to win the game,” coach Bill Redell said.

In nine games, Jones, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound junior, has rushed for 1,216 yards, averaging 10.2 yards per carry while scoring 27 touchdowns. He also has 33 tackles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Meantime, Reynolds is busy with the City Championship football playoffs – the visiting Tigers play at Taft at 7 tonight in the quaterfinals – but he has vowed to juggle four sports this school year – football, basketball, wrestling and track.

“The only conflict would be wrestling and basketball, and both coaches are cool with it,” Reynolds said.

Ryan Meier has twice come through in the final seconds for El Camino Real of Woodland Hills. The junior quarterback scored the game-winning two-point conversion in a 29-28 nonleague victory over Canoga Park earlier this season, then scored the winning touchdown Thursday on a 4-yard run in overtime in a 35-28 upset at Marshall of L.A. in the first round of the City Invitational.

“Honestly, I was a little nervous. I mean, it’s the last play, fourth down, overtime,” Meier said. “The play was actually a pass, but I had to tuck it away and run around two guys who almost tackled me.”

The Conquistadores (7-4) look to parlay the momentum Wednesday at Roosevelt of L.A. (9-2).

Birmingham (6-5) at Narbonne (10-1) – After winning two consecutive City titles and four over the past six years, Birmingham, led by QB Morey Croson, RB Trajuan Briggs, OL Timote Tonga and WR De’Von Flournoy, is the underdog against the top-seeded Gauchos.

Birmingham eliminated Narbonne in 2005 and 2004.

Narbonne S Byron Moore, who had two INTs Thursday in an opening win over Washington, has committed to USC but took an official visit to Notre Dame this past weekend. He has also been offered by UCLA and others. QB Josh Morten is among the best in the City. He completed 14 of 21 for 161 yards and one TD and ran for a 61-yard TD last week.

INVITATIONAL DIVISION

Huntington Park (6-4) at Arleta (11-0) – Top-seeded Arleta, coached by Jeff Engilman, has won 14 of 15 dating back to last season.

El Camino Real at Roosevelt – El Camino Real, led by explosive RB Rashon Harper, is coming off a 35-28 overtime upset over Marshall of L.A.

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